Best Friends
by Bretagne2
Summary: Rose and Dimitri have been best friends since they were young. When Rose goes through a life changing ordeal, she turns to Dimitri for help. The event brings them even closer and as they navigate through personal issues with themselves as well as with each other, will they simply remain best friends-or will the fire that burns between them take their relationship to a new level?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my new story that I'm working on, the thought just came to me and before I knew it I was jotting it down and developing it into a story. For those of you that have read/currently are reading my other story "Mr. Belikov" I am NOT giving up on that one, it's just on a small hiatus as I'm beginning to develop this one. I will get back to "Mr. Belikov" though so stay tuned on that front. For the purpose of the this story, all the characters are human; Rose and Dimitri are around the same age 25ish, 26ish (in that vicinity); no one has died; Rose has known Dimitri longer than she has known Lissa. I don't want to give away everything too soon as I promise everything will be discussed in due time as the story develops.**

 **Here is a slightly more in depth summary: Rose and Dimitri have been best friends since their youths in Russia; as they start to drift apart Rose experiences a life changing ordeal in which she turns to Dimitri for help and comfort. As they encounter the personal messes that is their lives, they start to depend on each other in a way they never had before. As new found feelings and unspoken truths start to emerge will Rose and Dimitri remain just best friends- or will the fire that burns between them take their relationship to a new level?**

 **I really hope you guys enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Dimitri POV**

 _I was at my wedding._

 _I stared at the woman in white coming towards me; for some reason her face was obscured from my view but in my heart I knew who she was; I knew my wife._

 _The church was silent, except for the music playing as she walked down the aisle. Every ounce of me burned, ached for the beautiful creature that was coming towards me._

 _"You sure know how to pick them." My best friend and best man, Ivan whispered to me as he clapped me on the back._

 _I felt like my face would break into a million pieces, that's how hard I was smiling. "I know." I replied._

 _She was a mere 10 feet away from me now, getting ready for her father to give her away, away to me, where I would love her as I've always loved her. My heart sped up in anticipation, a pounding that seemed to come from within._

 _The pounding got even louder as her hand reached toward mine. My hands reaching toward her veil so I could see her beautiful face._ Boom. Bang.

The pounding seemed to get louder and louder until I realized that it wasn't my heart after all but somewhere outside of me. "Bang. Bang. Bang"

I sat up in my bed, the dream beginning to fade from my memory, my senses on high alert as I looked around my dark bedroom, my eyes resting on the clock "2:13" _Who the hell in banging down my door at two in the morning?_

I emerged from under the covers and made my way across my apartment and to the door which someone was still banging upon with tons of force. I looked into the peephole and quickly opened the door.

"Rose?"

My best friend stood at my doorway mid knock. Her long brown hair plastered to her face, wet I realized as were the rest of her clothes. In the hallway lighting I could make out a bruise on her cheek, close to her eye, and I caught her arm as she swayed on her feet.

"Rose what are you doing here?"

She looked at me blankly before doing something I hadn't seen her do in years; bust into tears.

I quickly ushered her into my apartment, closing the door behind her and wrapping my arms around her body in a hug.

"Rose! Rose, what happened? Are you okay? Why are you wet?" I asked, questions shooting off like missiles.

I held her slightly at arm's distance, my eyes raking over her body looking for any obvious signs of distress. Finding none, I settled on her eyes, those brown eyes that- over the past few months- had seemed so sad. _How did I miss that?_ At that moment I felt a pang of guilt when I realized I hadn't seen Rose in about 3 weeks. Now that may be normal for other people but Rose and I were attached at the hip and have been since elementary school when we lived in the same neighborhood in Russia. We met on a playground one faithful day and never looked back since. Through middle school, high school, though we separated briefly for college, we eventually found our way back to each other coming to America together; briefly living together until Rose moved in with her husband (then boyfriend) of nearly 2 years.

We had both been so caught up with work and other affairs that we hadn't seen a lot of each other these last few weeks; our weekly dinner outings ceasing to continue; her lunches occupied with her work or her husband. Although, I had been busy too, most attempts to see each other again had been on my part to which Rose either couldn't make it or politely declined. If I hadn't been so busy I would have visited her apartment just to check on her but, if I was being completely honest, in my heart I wanted to deny anything between us had changed, I didn't want to believe that we were doing something as stupid as growing apart after years of being together. So instead we texted and Skyped and I ignored the voice in the back of my head that told me that something was off about Rose; she was less outgoing, her texted replies were clipped and to the point; our Skype convos growing less and few in between. Something was going on with my best friend and I refused to acknowledge it, telling myself that it was something I'd handle "later on" I desperately wanted to kick myself, how could I let everything get so out of hand, how could I let it get to this?

"Rose." I said, quieter now, "Please tell me what happened. Are you okay?"

She bit her lip, a longtime sign of anxiety and frustration; and wouldn't look me in the eye. She escaped from my grasp and sunk down onto my couch, focusing on her hands.

"Things just got so out of hand and I didn't know what to do-I didn't know how to handle it-I just-I don't know" she said, her words faint.

"What got out of hand? What happened? Tell me, it's okay, I'll help you." I replied, moving to sit down next to her. I placed her small hands in my larger ones, turning them over in her lap. It was then that I saw the bruises. My eyes were on hers and I saw the pool of tears.

"I didn't mean too, he just made me so angry Dimitri. I just-God, he hit me first, and I got so angry. I was infuriated."

 _What?!_ "Who hit you Rose?" I asked, my voice deep and quiet. My need to protect her consuming my body. But before she said it I knew. I've had the same bad feeling in my stomach for weeks and it was the same bad feeling I had when she told me she was going to get married.

I looked into her eyes, desperately hoping that my fears weren't going to come true. But when she glanced away I knew I was right.

"Jesse." She finally said. "Jesse hit me"

 _That son of a bitch._

* * *

 **Let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys, so this next chapter is coming very fast, unfortunately not every chapter will come the next day but I will try to upload them possibly every week? I'll see how it goes. Also the first chapter was a bit short for a reason as I just wanted to get a little paint on the canvas as they say, not every chapter will be that short. The chapters will probably be around this length, slightly more or slightly less.**

 **Thanks to those of you that leave reviews (I read every single one), and who also follow and favorite the story, I truly appreciate that! Anyway, happy reading! :)**

* * *

 **Dimitri POV**

It was like I was moving in slow motion, my mind failed to realize what my body was doing. It wasn't until I heard Rose's pleas and the clamoring of her bruised fingers on my arm that I forced myself to turn around and back away from my front door.

"No! Dimitri please don't! I just-stop, please!"

"He. Hit. You." I said slowly, pronouncing every word carefully, just in case she failed to come to the same conclusion that I did.

"I know. And I've already handled it. Please just let it go."

"Let it go?! Are you out of your mind? Have you looked at your face!" My words came out a lot harsher than I expected and I immediately regretted it when I saw the hurt in her eyes.

She was quiet for a while as I groped to recover from the harshness of my words.

"Rose look I'm sorry-I didn't-I didn't mean it like that. I-"

"Yeah I know." She interrupted, running a hand through her damp hair. "I'm-Dimitri I'm honestly just exhausted and I just want a hot shower and to sleep." She said, the tears again threatening on the corners of her eyes.

I was forced to swallow my anger at the situation and at that bastard and really try to be the duty I neglected the last couple weeks:her best friend.

"Okay," I said, running a hand through my hair, "You can go into your old bedroom and I'll get you an extra t-shirt.

I went into my room and tried to find the smallest t-shirt that I owned. It was the look on Rose's face when I came out with the t-shirt that tugged at this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach.

It was a look of pure loss; I had known Rose for practically my whole life and we had been through enough shit together. My abusive father, her parent's deaths in a car accident, a pregnancy scare when Rose was a teen; each situation I felt had strengthened our dependence on each other, both of us turning to the other when a situation arose that we just couldn't handle by ourselves. Those situations also cemented our roles in our friendship. I was always the more logical one, thinking and agonizing over a decision before I made it whereas Rose would dive in head first, essentially throwing caution into the wind. I also believed Rose to be the more emotionally stronger one of us two; it wasn't that I was weak, I just think it was Rose's no nonsense, no bullshit attitude that had made her strong enough to overcome whatever life threw at her. She would stare a problem in the eye daring it to make a move; never had I ever felt nor seen Rose to be hesitant or loss. However, that look on her face wore both of the above. Her eyes were bleak as she stared ahead. I ached to comfort her, to make the pain go away but it was weird. In our friendship that was always her role; I was the one that made plans and came to logical conclusions. I never need to comfort Rose simply because she never needed to be comforted; she was like a soldier, confronting any problem head on. I took a deep breath channeled my inner Rose warrior and lightly touched her shoulder. She jumped, startled; the look in her eyes when they met mine, was of shame and sadness.

"The guest room-well your old room- is ready and I found you a shirt. The smallest one I could find." I said, giving her a half-hearted smile.

She gave me a small one in return, "Thanks."

"Do you need anything else?" I asked. She shook her head slightly and slipped into the room, the only sound the soft thud as she closed the door.

"Dimitri?" She said, opening the door and appearing in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that while I'm asleep you won't do anything stupid to Jesse and get yourself arrested?"

I hesitated, our old sync biting me in the ass. How did she know that was exactly what I wanted to do?

"Dimitri." Dammit

"I promise." I said

"You really promise?"

"Yes. I really promise." She said while she's asleep, she said nothing about when she wakes up. When she does, his ass is mine.

She nodded before finally closing the door and leaving me with my thoughts. I sat down on my couch and ran a hand through my hair as I struggled to make sense of everything. I felt all over the place. My concern and need to protect Rose. My guilt that I hadn't seen or done anything to help her. My anger over that scum bag she referred to as her husband. I could tear him apart limb by limb for simply making her unhappy let alone putting a hand on her. However, a promise was a promise and I told Rose I wasn't going to do anything while she was asleep and I fully intended on keeping my word.

I looked at the clock above the television "3:02" and sighed. I quickly turned off the lights and made my way into my own bedroom. As I passed by Rose's room I could swear I heard the sobs that she was probably trying to muffle with her pillow. That sound both enraged me and made me sad all over again but like a good boy I kept my promise, saving that ultimate ass whopping until morning.

* * *

I awoke early the next morning, still trying to come to terms with what had occurred only hours before. Rose, my best friend, both physically and emotionally abused by the person who was supposed to love her in sickness and in health. Again, I yearned to go over to that apartment and teach that asshole a lesson but I applied self control telling myself it would all be taken care of in due time. Since it was Saturday and I didn't have to work, I opted to cheer Rose up in the way that had always worked when we were kids and hadn't ceased to work even as we grew up: food. I was mid-way through the second round of pancakes when she emerged from her room. She balanced against the island and watched me, my t-shirt-super baggy on her- nearly down to knees and I saw an old pair of her sleeping shorts-that I knew she had kept here on purpose-peeking out from under the shirt's hem. Her hair was mused and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from her tears.

"I hope you don't mind, but I used the last of your toothbrushes." she said

"Nope. It's fine. I'm just glad you didn't use mine." I teased.

"Oh my God Dimitri. That was years upon years ago. I was a kid." she said rolling her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Correction, you were 15 and wanted to prove a point."

"Whatever. You're just mad because that was an argument that you couldn't use logic to solve." she retorted

"The turtle and the hare." I said, furthering my teasing.

"You know, it's a good thing you're so good in the kitchen," she said, swiping a bacon strip from it's plate. "Or else I don't think I would have kept you around."

Now it was my time to roll my eyes, "Please. Without me, you would lose your head."

She smirked, having no retort because she knew I was right. Dating back to our childhood years I always looked out for Rose; and sometimes being the logical one had put us in some good positions. She also knew she couldn't say the same for her plans, the ones that usually ended us up in trouble.

It wasn't before long that the food was ready and we both sat at my little 4 person table and dug in. Although she ate, I noticed a significant decrease in the amount contrary to the heaps she used to take when she was living here. But that was a concern for another day as my main concern over last night's situation continued to peak my curiosity. I had decided that I was going to let her bring it up on her own but as breakfast continued and all of our talk remained light and unimportant, I found myself growing uncharacteristically impatient.

I guess it must have showed because not too later Rose remarked, "Well, I guess I should tell you what happened huh?" she peeked at me through her eyelashes, before settling on looking at the wall right behind me.

She took a deep breath and began, "He's cheating on me Dimitri."

I said nothing, giving her a chance to continue. "He's cheating on me and I felt it for a while but I saw it tonight."

I glanced at her, wanting to take away the pain and sadness in her eyes. "Everything started out so well. Everyone said we married too young but Dimitri I loved him, I really did. And everything was fine, until after our 1st year anniversary when he started to drink a little more. At first it was fine, a little recreational drinking, maybe a little bit sloppy at parties but it was fine. Then once, when he woke up and had a hangover I suggested that he should just cut down a little, for his health, for us. Dimitri that was the first time I've been afraid of him. The rage-the fury in his eyes. He didn't hit me but he sure looked like he wanted to. I stayed over at Lissa's for a couple nights and of course he apologized profusely and said he'd stop drinking and I believed him. I went back to him and he stopped for about a month. Then he started again but it was even worse than the last time. It was every weekend he'd go out drinking and every Sunday he'd be too hung over to carry a conversation with. When he was sober I'd bring it up and we'd break into these awful, awful fights that would terrify me."

At this point she paused, and drew in a shaky breath, "He would say stuff Dimitri. About me. He would yell awful things about my body, my job, my personality. I wouldn't believe them at the time but later, his words would destroy me. I grew very unhappy….and I got kind of depressed. I cut myself off from everything, from Lissa, from you, from myself. I wanted out. I knew that our relationship was toxic and if I wanted to get my life back together then I had to get out, get a divorce. I was getting the papers together when I discovered he'd been cheating on me; I left as fast as I could and I've been staying at Lissa's. I told Jesse that I just needed to clear my head and of course he started the begging for me to come back but this time I stood my ground. He is an alcoholic and a cheater and I told him so. Tonight I thought he was going to be working late so I just went to get my stuff when there on our bed, he was having sex with another woman. Dimitri it's like all the emotions that I've kept bottled up for too long spilled to the surface and I lost it. I yelled louder than I have in my entire life; the woman ran out, we argued and that's when he grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I pushed him back…and-and he slapped me."

She said it deadpanned as if she was describing it as it happened to another person instead of herself. "I thought I had lost it before but I definitely lost it now. I hit and punched and kicked and threw things and yelled and then I ran out of there before he could come after me. I just needed to walk around, clear my head, I felt so lost, so angry, so defeated. And then it started to rain and I just started walking and I didn't realize where I was until I saw it was your apartment."

The flurry of different emotions ran through me again as I looked at Rose from across the table. I took her hands in mine, "Rose. Why didn't you come to me earlier? I could have helped you. I could have done something-anything."

"I don't know. I guess I just felt a little embarrassed and I didn't want to bother you. It was kind of a girl thing and I just didn't want to burden you with my problems." she said

 _Ouch._ "Rose, we're best friends. You can tell me anything, nothing is ever too important when it comes to you. I'm always here for you. You should know that."

She sighed, "I know that now. I just-look I was in a really dark place and it made it hard to make what I believed to be would be the right decision. I'm sorry."

I didn't say anything for a while, focusing on caressing her hands within my own. "So, what are you going to do?"

She let out a short sarcastic laugh. "I have no clue. No damn clue. Divorce, I guess." she looked at me and again in those eyes I saw that loss, that hesitation.

"Well, you don't have to do anything right now. You can stay here for as long as you need to, it'll be okay."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Rose, I'm going to say it again just in case you forgot. You are my best friend. Never would you be bothering me and never would you be intruding."

She smiled lightly, "Can we watch old movies and eat ice cream like we used to?"

I laughed outright, "Of course we can. You get the movies. I'll clean up the kitchen."

"Good-you're doing the cleaning. I was secretly hoping you would." she said, smirking.

"I always do. Someway you always got out of it."

"Hey, you know me. I'll do anything but the dishes. Ugh, I hate it."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, "You're spoiled, you know that right?"

"I wouldn't call it spoiled, I would call it growing up with OCD Dimitri who did all the kitchen cleaning so I wouldn't have to."

"I am not OCD." I lied. She opened her mouth with another retort and I cut her off, "Pick out the movies before I change my mind and we clean up my apartment."

"Oooh scary." she teased, going to my movie drawer.

I don't know how long we stayed on the couch watching movies. It reminded me of our teen years so much I found myself filled with nostalgia. Our teen years where during school breaks or long weekends Rose and I would stay in my house's den from noon to night, watching movies. Sometimes when either or us was too lazy to put in another movie we would just stay in the dark talking talking about anything and everything. Nothing was off bounds, nothing was off limits; I felt as if those were such easier times when compared to the mess Rose was going through now.

 _Flashback_

 _"Wait, why don't you like romance movies again?" I had asked, after a particular romance movie in which Rose spent the whole movie smirking and making snide remarks._

 _"They're so predictable. Boy and girl meet, boy and girl either hate each other or are best friends, boy and girl or boy or girl starts to date other people, boy or girl starts to get jealous or thinking about that other person to excess, one of them professes their feelings to only then be turned down, opposite companion realizes they can't live without them-bullshit-boy and girl profess their feelings at some big outing (usually a dance), they kiss, music plays. The end."_

 _I laughed, "And what's wrong with that?"_

 _"Real life isn't like that. Guys aren't that nice, they don't care and they definitely won't take the time to get to know you."_

 _"Oh so it's all the guys fault?" I said, playing devil's advocate._

 _"No. It's the girls too, siting at home pining for some guy. If you want someone go out and get them, he can't read your mind."_

 _"Rose, where in the world did you get such a cynical view?"_

 _"Years and years of experience." she said, examining her nails nonchalantly._

 _"Wow a whole 17 years. Wise beyond your years."_

 _"Hey, I can't help the wisdom that HE bestowed upon me." she said grinning._

 _I rolled my eyes, "Rose not all guys and girls are like that."_

 _"Yes they are. Well-you're not. You're worse."_

 _"Worse? What's that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Dimitri you're too nice. You're friendly with everyone so no girl could ever tell if you're flirting with her and you're so nice, girls will walk all over you, especially the mean ones."_

 _I was floored, "I'm not being too nice. I'm being chivalrous, nothing wrong with that."_

 _"I never said there was, but the girls that you're being "chivalrous" with, they're the complete opposite of that."_

 _"What are you even talking about?"_

 _"Oh God, come on Dimitri. Margo!"_

 _"What about her?"_

 _"What about her?! You're all sweet and innocent with her and that witch is anything but. She would love for you to fast fuck her in the stairwells, I bet." she replied._

 _"What? No."_

 _"What? Yes. You just don't see it because you're too nice. You don't see the way she undresses you with her eyes." she said, suggestively waggling her eyebrows._

 _I was growing tired of the Dimitri's-too-nice game so I decided to spin the tables, "Okay, well what about you?"_

 _"Oh I'm perfect." she said, shrugging her shoulders._

 _"If by perfect you mean scare nice guys away then yep you're perfect."_

 _"What? I don't do that."_

 _"Yes, you do. You love the bad boys because they're the only ones that can keep up with your sarcastic remarks without leaving with a broken heart or leaving you with a broken heart. Mind you, it's because the bad boys don't have a heart."_

 _She rolled her eyes, "I don't only go after bad boys."_

 _"Yes, you do. It's like you're a challenge junkie, the more of a challenge, the more interested you are in them."_

 _"Whatever."_

 _"And you always end up hurt, because God knows these guys are not coming with the best intentions. Hmm and that's probably what fuels this cynical view of yours." I said_

 _We sat in silence as she didn't reply and I felt a little bad because maybe I had been a little mean, but then she said, "You can always keep up with my sarcastic remarks."_

 _"That's because I've known you for practically my whole life, so I know how your sarcasm is. I can deal with it."_

 _We sat in more silence as she looked down at her hands. As I always was, I was surprised by how comfortable our silence was. With others silence may have been uncomfortable or awkward but with Rose it never was, it was simply comfortable._

 _"Dimitri, I've decided I never want to get married."_

 _I laughed, "No one's forcing you too. Besides you don't have to do it now."_

 _"No I'm serious. I'm not getting married. Not now-not ever, it's too messy and too complicated and I just don't want that in my life."_

 _"Okay. Whatever you say. You could always end up changing your mind."_

 _"Nope." she said, shaking her head. "I won't and if I ever do, you have to stop me because I obviously won't be in my right mind."_

 _I looked at her truly expecting her to crack a smile or a laugh or anything to let me know that this was a joke, but Rose sat there dead-panned in her decision._

 _"Okay." I replied._

 _"You'll stop me if I ever try to get married."_

 _"Yes."_

 _"You promise.  
_

 _"Yes Rose, I promise."_

 _"Pinky swear." she said, scooting closer to me on the couch and sticking out her pinky. She was close enough that I could smell the lavender and vanilla lotion she was so fond of using. I'm not going to lie, smelling her scent, knowing she was that close to me, thrilled me in a new and confusing way. I stomped out that thought, focusing on what she had asked me to do._

 _"I promise and I pinky swear." I said, linking my pinky with hers. It was there looking into her eyes as she grinned, that I made a promise I really should have planned on keeping._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys, this is another installment to the story. Thank you to all my followers, favoriters, and reviewers (Little Dhampir Jr, Brooke,** **RozalineGrey899, NinjaSlayer99, and some guests).**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Dimitri POV**

 _Flashback_

 _I was about 6 years old and was playing in the playground about a block from my house. It may sound weird but in my neighborhood in Russia everyone knew everyone and it was safe enough for a 6 year old boy to walk down the block from his house and play in the playground by himself; the town was small and very close with little to no crime occurring. Thus, that was how one summer day, I met my best friend._

 _I was playing on the swings enjoying the rush that came with every height and the wind blowing in my hair-which I refused to have cut. It was as I was soaring higher and higher on the swings that I saw a little girl cuddled behind some bushes off center to the park; like any curious 6 year old I immediately abandoned the swings and went to investigate. I approached the girl cautiously looking for anyone around her but she was alone and as I got closer I heard her sniffles. She stopped and turned around when I lightly poked her on the shoulder._

 _"Are you okay?" I asked peering down at her, speaking in my native tongue. She sat on the grass, knees to chest, arms circling her body a complete look of confusion came across her face._

 _"Do you speak Russian?" I asked again, in my native tongue. It wasn't often that we had people in Baia that didn't speak Russian._

 _"Are you okay?" I asked again, this time in English._

 _"Leave me alone." She said, roughly wiping her tears with the back of her hands._

 _Not to be deterred I tried again, "Why are you crying?"_

 _"I'm not crying. My eyes are just sweating." came her response_

 _I was quiet for a moment confused by her statement, "It looks like tears to me."_

 _"Well, they're not."_

 _"What's your name?"_

 _"Why do you ask so many questions?"_

 _"I just wanted to see if you were okay." I said, a little taken aback. I began to wonder if I should have bothered her at all._

 _She was quiet for a while, staring right at me, her brown eyes seeming to peer into my very soul. "Rose." she finally said, "My name is Rose."_

 _"My name is Dimitri Belikov and it's very nice to meet you." I said, sticking out my hand as my mother had taught me._

 _She gingerly took my hand in her own, giving it two pumps before letting go._

 _"Are you lost?" I didn't recognize her as any of the usual neighborhood kids and I again noticed she was all alone._

 _She nodded, "I want to go home."_

 _"Where do you live?"_

 _"I want to go back home in Turkey."_

 _I was quiet for a while, thinking of my kindergarten geography class, trying hopelessly_ _to place Turkey on the map. "Is that far away from here?" I asked_

 _She nodded again. "Where's your mommy?" I asked and then immediately wished I hadn't because that started a whole new round of tears._

 _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!"_

 _"I want to go home and I want my mommy." she cried, placing her head in between her legs._

 _All of this was too much for my 6 year old self to comprehend let alone deal with and all of a sudden I felt an urgent need for my own mother, who would know exactly what to do._

 _"Rose," I said, sticking out my hand._

 _She looked up, tears streaking down her face. She took my hand and I helped her stand up. I didn't let go of Rose's hand until we were at my house and I was calling for my mother. My mother came out of the kitchen and appeared in the doorway and looked at the sight before her; Rose and I hand in hand, me a worried mess and Rose a tear streaked one._

 _"Well who is this?" My mother asked, coming towards us, sinking down to her knees so she was eye-level with both of us; though I was a bit taller than exact eye-level._

 _"Mama, this is Rose. I think she's lost."_

 _"Oh is she now. Rose, honey, where are your parents?"_

 _"Gone." Rose whispered and my 6 year old self immediately understood what that meant._

 _"Oh hon I'm so sorry. Who are you staying with now?" my mom asked_

 _"Auntie Alberta."_

 _"And where is she?"_

 _"At work." she replied_

 _"So you're all by yourself?"_

 _"No. She left me with a baby-sitter."_

 _"Okay, I understand. Rose, do you happen to know your aunt's number? Maybe it's an emergency number she told you never to forget?"_

 _Low and behold Rose remembered her aunt's number and while my mother was on the phone with Alberta, Rose and I were wolfing down a batch of my mother's homemade cookies._

 _"Your mom is really nice." Rose said, watching my mom feed my smallest sister Viktoria with a bottle and carry a conversation with Alberta on the phone._

 _I beamed, "She's my best friend."_

 _"And now I'm your best friend too." Rose said, matter of-factly._

 _"When did that happen?" I asked._

 _She pretended to count on her fingers. "Five minutes ago."_

 _I smiled, "Okay. We can be best friends."_

 _And we had a lot of time to become best friends when Alberta fired Rose's baby-sitter who was so preoccupied with her phone that she failed to notice Rose had left her house, which was oddly enough right across from mine. Rose said she hadn't recognized it because she had just moved about 2 weeks prior to our meeting. With a fired baby-sitter, it left no one to care for Rose during the summer while Alberta went to work so, my gracious mother volunteered, citing that because she stayed home to care for a newborn and me, she wouldn't mind one bit looking after Rose too._

 _When asked how we felt about the new arrangements by Alberta and my mother Rose answered for both of us,_ _"Dimitri is my new best friend, of course it's okay!" My sentiments exactly._

* * *

 **Present Day**

"I have to go back to my-that apartment." We were on the couch, it was near midnight and we had just finished out fourth or fifth movie.

"I need clothes and some other stuff." she said.

I looked at the clock and she followed my gaze, "He's not home, it's a Saturday night so he's probably out getting drunk somewhere and won't be home til about after 2. Trust me."

"I'm going with you." I said

"He won't be there."

"I'm still going with you."

So that was how on late on a Saturday night-well more like Sunday morning- Rose and I were tiptoeing around the apartment she and Jesse shared. I looked around the living room definitely noting some of Rose's touches; probably Lissa's touches as she had helped Rose decorate the apartment. Although the apartment was well furnished and spacious I noted that there were things missing that made it a home; pictures of Jesse and Rose, miscellaneous objects lying around. The whole apartment just seemed too cold, too impersonal. I did notice, however, the copious amount of beer and vodka bottles spilling out of the trash, I also noticed how on her way to the bed room Rose diverted her gaze from the mess the bottles created. It wasn't until I was in the hallway close to their bedroom that I saw the broken glass from a broken vase as well as a broken frame. Rose paused slightly when she saw the sight, sighing while she walked over them and shook her head.

"Do you need my help packing anything?" I asked.

"No. Majority of my stuff is here and the rest is at Lissa's so it'll take probably a couple minutes."

"Okay, I'll wait in the living room." I had decided to give her some time and privacy in the bedroom while she packed her things but I noticed nearly 20 minutes had gone by since I last heard shuffling from her packing.

I knocked lightly on the door and when I didn't hear a response, I gently pushed the door open. "Rose? Are you-" I stopped at the sight before me.

The bedroom was a complete and total mess, clothes and shoes strewn everywhere and in the middle of it sat Rose, back to me, hair framing her body, knees to chest, head in hear lap, very similar to how I had found her many years ago sobbing in the park.

I gingerly made my way through the clothes and sunk down on the carpet next to her. This time, instead of poking her on the shoulder, I put my arm around her body and held her closer to me. She wasn't crying but her chest heaved up and down with every breath she took. I don't know how long we sat there, my arm around Rose as she breathed, eventually my fingers playing absent-mindly with her hair, Rose crushed to my chest, various objects around us in disarray.

"How could he do this to me?" She finally asked.

"I don't know." I said, honestly.

"I love him. Loved him."

"I know."

"Dimitri my heart hurts."

"I'm so sorry milaya."

"I never want to feel like this again." she whispered.

I held her closer to me, wanting to take away her pain. I let go of her briefly as I worked quickly on packing and putting everything away. When I was finished, Rose and I walked out of that apartment hand in hand similar to when we had started our friendship years upon years ago.

* * *

 **Sunday Night- Dimitri POV**

"You're going to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, aren't you?" She responded, putting clothes haphazardly into the closet save for a pair of slacks and blouse that she had left out on the bed.

"Well yes, but-"

"But crime doesn't just stop because my husband cheated on me Dimitri." Rose worked as a Public Defender and was quite good at her job; so good sometimes I accused her of being at the border of a workaholic. She had quite sobered up since last night's bed room break down and she was slowly morphing back into the tough Rose I knew and was accustomed too, while it didn't quite bother me, I liked seeing her as her old self, the speed at which she was snapping back couldn't be healthy. She was doing what she used to do to cope with pain-suppress and sit on it until it came out-usually at bad times.

"I don't know Rose, maybe you should stay home a few days, you know relax and figure out how you feel about everything." If she had heard me, I didn't see an indication, she was busy moving everything back into her old room.

"Rose-" I tried again.

"I heard you." she said, her back to me.

"Okay so don't you think-"

"Dimitri if something happened to you would you just stop giving making sure little Johnny is okay? Or that little Meghan's cold isn't a sign of something worse?"

I worked as a pediatrician and I also worked on call as an obstetrician (delivering babies); I had studied for a long time in college and worked very hard for my job and although high-paced and stressful at times, I loved it. There was nothing that compared to making sure a child is well and bringing new life into the world. And although I accused Rose of being a workaholic it was also a title she threw right back at me.

I sighed at her questions, not replying because she already knew the answer. "Exactly, I didn't think so." she said smugly.

"Rose, I just want to make sure that you're 100% sure about going to work after everything that's happened."

"I'll be fine. Besides, work keeps me busy. Busy is good." she said, turning to face me.

"Do you want to meet for lunch or something?" I asked.

"Can't I'm meeting Lissa, but I'll be here when you get home and I'll supervise as you do your favorite past time: cleaning something." she teased

I rolled my eyes, "By supervising you mean participating." I countered.

"You know me comrade, by supervising I really mean supervising."

She laughed lightly as I walked out of the room.

* * *

 **Monday Morning-Lissa POV**

 _Buzz. Buzz._

I had just stepped out of the shower and into my bedroom when I heard my phone vibrate from my nightstand. I sat down from my bed and read the text from Rose.

 _Lunch today? I have something to tell you-Rose_

 _Absolutely. Are you okay?-Lissa_

 _You know me, I'll get through it. Gotta go, Dimitri made pancakes again :)-Rose_

I sighed and set down my phone and stared into the distance, Christian's lips on my neck broke me out of my revere and also brought a smile to my lips.

"Well good morning to you, Mr. Ozera." I said, turning around to kiss him.

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Ozera." he said, a smile in his bright blue eyes. "Rose?" he asked, signaling to the phone.

"Yeah." I paused, my smile slowly disappearing. Rose had been staying in our guest bedroom for a couple weeks now due to problems between her and Jesse; she had yet to tell me the full story as to what had made her move out of her apartment and all I knew was that Jesse was an extreme alcoholic. I had grown worried on Friday night when she said she was going back for her things at the apartment and she had never returned but she had texted me saying that she was staying at Dimitri's. I had to ignore the very small twinge of jealousy that I felt pertaining to their relationship. It was unlike anything that I had ever seen. I had met Rose in college (we were roommates) and we grew to be very close friends, regarding each other as sisters, but with Dimitri it was a completely different story. They were closer than a standard friendship but they weren't dating. I remembered once asking Rose about their relationship after Dimitri had visited her over a long weekend.

 _Flashback_

 _"So," I said, propping myself onto my bed across from Rose. "What's the deal with you and Dimitri?" I asked, waggling my eyebrows._

 _I watched as Rose averted her gaze and turned a very interesting shade of pink. "Dimitri and I are just friends and nothing more." she said_

 _"Please, I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. That is more than just friendship."_

 _"Dimitri doesn't think of me in that way and he's my best friend."_

 _"So you think of him in that way?" I asked, teasing._

 _Rose only shook her head, "I've known Dimitri practically my whole life, he's my best friend, and we've been through a lot together."_

 _"But you guys have never dated?"_

 _"No. We're just friends and nothing more."_

 _"Okay..."_

 _"But I do know who's not just friends...you and Christian!" she said, thus making me turn an interesting shade of red. I let the conversation go and whenever I asked the same question about her and Dimitri she answered the same way, that they were just friends and nothing more. I never told her that I had continued to ask because of what I saw. When they were around each other they were so in sync, it was scary. It was even more amazing when paired with how opposite they were inside and out. Rose-petite, out-going, and loud. Dimitri-tall, reserved, and quiet. They were like the two pieces of a puzzle that you think would never fit together yet they did. However, as college progressed and the only sign of a possible relationship was Rose's pink cheeks, I stopped asking and took her answer as is. But I never gave up on the idea of them two and decided to keep it in my back pocket as a possible "I told you so" card later._

"Is she okay?" Christian asked

"Yeah, she's staying with Dimitri and wants to meet for lunch."

"Hmm, do you think it's over?"

"Between her and Jesse? Yeah probably, but it's been over for a while. I wonder what made her stay and Dimitri's and not here over the weekend."

"Well you know how close they are." Christian said.

"Yeah and I was surprised when she came over here and not to him."

"Well Dimitri doesn't like Jesse at all so maybe that had something to do with it."

"Well yeah, but I thought he just thought of Jesse as an annoyance." I said.

Christian gave me a dubious look, "Remember the wedding rehearsal dinner? When Jesse got a little too drunk and said something stupid to Rose? I thought Dimitri was going to fight him right then and there, and Dimitri is one of the most well-mannered people I know. Rose had to calm Dimitri down."

"Oh yeah, how did I forget all that?"

"You weren't there. You had a doctor's conference. I remember telling you about it later."

"Hmm." I sighed again and jumped as I looked at the clock. "Crap I'm going to be late."

"Well since you're already late, you could always come back into the bed and be a little more late." Christian said suggestively.

I blame Christian for making me nearly 15 minutes late for my first appointment this morning.

* * *

 **Monday-Lunch-Lissa POV**

"Hey!" I said, slipping into a booth across from Rose at Panera. We didn't get to eat lunch together that often but when we did we opted to go to Panera which was equidistant from the hospital where I worked as an OB-GYN (and where Dimitri also worked as a Pediatrician), and also the courthouse where Rose worked.

"Hey." She said, sipping on her coke.

"Did you order for me already?" I asked, taking off my coat and gloves in the warm restaurant.

"Yes, I did. Wow it feels nice to be the one ordering and not slipping in right before the food comes." She laughed. Due to Christian's "persuasion" I was late for my appointment this morning and therefore uncharacteristically late for my lunch meeting with Rose. Usually it was Rose I would already order for and wait as she slipped in.

"Haha. Don't get too used to it." I retorted. "So," I said, unsure exactly of how to continue. "You said you had something to tell me."

"Yes I did." she said, looking down at her napkin and sipping her coke before she continued. "Show me all the hot, single doctors because I'm getting a divorce."

 _What?_ "What?" I said.

"Yep. I can now go out on the town on Single Ladies Tuesday." she joked, an old tactic whenever she felt uncomfortable.

"Rose, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I let that scumbag into my life, and I forgave him every time he did something wrong or stupid, even when he made me feel like I wasn't amazing, like I was dirt under his shoe, I still stayed, I was still deluded by some blind love and adoration for him. Not anymore. I'm done, I'm divorcing his ass."

I let her go on her small rant, enjoying seeing my Rose back-the strong, confident one-not the shell of a person she was when he was around. Our food came then and we were silent as we ate.

"Do you need me to do anything for you? You know, you're always welcome to stay for as long as you like with Christian and I."

"Trust me, I think Christian enjoys having you all to himself. And thanks but no, I'm gonna stay with Dimitri until-" She paused, thinking. "Until I figure out what I'm going to do next."

"Well if you need anything, I'm always here. And Christian too, even though her pretends not to, he really does care about you." I said

"Thanks Lissa for-for everything." she said smiling. "No if you don't want your bacon, can I please have it?"

* * *

 **Monday Night-Dimitri POV**

I banged on the door with such force I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come out to investigate.

"Whoever it is,you have to fucking wait, I said I was coming like 3 damn times, coming over every hour in the damn night, banging down my damn door, who the hell-" his words cut off as he opened to the door and saw me in the doorway.

"Hello Jesse."

* * *

 **Let me know what you guys think! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello guys, here another chapter and my longest one to date! Again thank you to those of you that follow, favorite, story alert, and my reviewers (some Guests, The cat with blue eyes, passainte, haley2794, and stardreamer2608) I'm not a reviewer hound but I do love reviews because it lets me know what you guys think of the story!**

 ****Disclaimer**: I don't believe I need to change this chapter to an M rating but the topics discussed in the flashback (the italics) are slightly mature. If made uncomfortable please just skip to the non-italics part.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _Flashback-_ **Rose POV**

 _"What's so important that you dragged me out of bed at 1 in the morning?" Dimitri asked as he climbed through my bedroom window. We were 17 and as attached to the hip then as we had been when we were 6; Dimitri was one of the few people on this Earth that I trusted immensely. He was also one of the few that I felt the most comfortable around. When around others-usually people in school- I was found to be the outgoing one, the one who danced on tables at parties, the one that got along with everyone but took bullshit from no one. With Dimitri I didn't feel like that, like I constantly had to be on show, to entertain him all the time, I could just be me. I also trusted Dimitri because regardless of whatever happened, whatever mess I got into, he always had my back, his trust in me endless and never wavering since we were 6 years old and be brought me home from where I'd been sobbing at the park. I could tell Dimitri something and he would take it to his grave, never using it against me, and instead being the logical one in our friendship and usually finding ways to help me. He was one of the first people I turned to when something happened that I couldn't handle myself, and that was the reason why I sent him a text at 1 in the morning telling him I needed his help. And like the loyal friend that Dimitri is, he slipped out of his house and came._

 _I was pacing my bedroom floor, nervously wringing my hands, scared out of my mind. "Rose?"_

 _I looked up at him and wanted to immediately burst into tears-something I hated doing, in my mind crying was a sign of weakness. Instead I started to have a panic attack, something I hadn't had in years._

 _"Rose! Rose breathe, in and out. Come let's sit down." I let him lead me to my bed where I tried to follow his breathing instructions but it was hard because I felt like my world was crashing around me. How the hell could I be so stupid?_

 _"Rose, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Dimitri asked, concern in his eyes. I felt horrible for dragging him into this but he was my rock, my best friend, the logical one; he would know what to do._

 _"I'm sorry Dimitri-I didn't-I didn't know who else to turn to." I said, my words coming out in a rush._

 _And because Dimitri was the guy that he was he shrugged, as if getting woken up at 1 in the morning by your best friend who was now having a panic attack was no big deal. "It's okay. I'm here now, you can tell me."_

 _I took another deep breathing, trying to force myself to calm down. "God, Dimitri I've been so stupid."_

 _"Whatever it is Rose, you'll be okay. We'll get through it." The fact that he said "we" and not "me" made me feel even worse because it truly wasn't his problem. But because I was a heartless bitch, I told him._

 _"Dimitri," I looked down at my hands, "I'm late."_

 _I saw the confusion in his eyes, then the I-really-think-she-lost-it look and I decided to further my explanation, "I bought the test, but I can't take it. I'm scared." I said, whispering the last part._

 _And that's when I saw the light-bulb go off in his eyes. He stared wordlessly at me for a few moments, "No," he finally said_

 _I choked back a sob because even without the test I knew, I felt it, and that scared the hell out of me. Dimitri's only response was to pull me into his chest and hug me as I cried. We sat there for a few minutes until he said, "But Rose, you have to take it to be sure. You can do it right now. I'll be right here."_

 _Like I said I didn't need a test to tell me what I already knew; Dimitri held me the whole night as I cried and cursed myself for being so stupid, for being one of those girls I swore to never be, for being pregnant at 17._

 _Dimitri and I sat on my secret for about a week while I made my final decision on what I wanted to do. It was during another midnight "sleepover" at my house that I finally said it out loud._

 _"Dimitri, I can't have this baby." We were sprawled out on my bed opposite of each other, his head near my feet._

 _"Rose, there are other options."_

 _"I can't." I said, my decision final._

 _He sat up and I followed suit, "You don't have to, you can have a closed adoption."_

 _"Dimitri, I can't." I said, my voice breaking into a whisper. It was February of our senior year, hard work during my high school career got me accepted into Vanderbilt University in which I planned to study law and become a lawyer. I already had to get familiar with travelling to a whole new country, by myself and without my best friend-Dimitri was going to Johns Hopkins to study pediatric care. There was also the fact that I was 17, about to turn 18 and I didn't want to nor was I equipped to become a mother or even give birth to a child._

 _"You've made your decision." Dimitri remarked to which I nodded._

 _"What about the baby's father?" He asked._

 _I thought of Jay who also went to the same school as me, of our on-again, off-again relationship, his bad boy reputation, and how he had told me he was no one's boyfriend and that hanging together was all in fun. Granted, I was the one who told him I didn't do relationships and we had slept together only a couple times but the last time had felt different somehow, like the condom had possibly broke or gotten ripped. I could kick myself for not paying more attention. I didn't sleep around-he was the second guy I'd had sex with-but I was always very careful so situations like the one I'm in never happened._

 _"No." I said._

 _"No?"_

 _"I said no Dimitri."_

 _"No like you told him and he influenced your decision or no like he doesn't know?"_

 _"No like I'm never telling him." I said._

 _"Rose!"_

 _"Look Dimitri, this is my body and my decision and you can either help me or leave because I just feel very alone and scared and I don't want to go through it by myself. And no I can't tell Jay because not every guy is as supportive as you and yes, I know you think I'm an idiot and I probably sleep around but I don't and I'm always careful and I just want this to all be over because I'm so scared and I feel ashamed and I just want it to be over." My words pouring out in a rush, all of my insecurities and worries laid out for Dimitri._

 _He scooted closer to me on the bed, "Rose, I don't think that you're an idiot and I don't think that you sleep around." He said quietly_

 _"You're just saying that." I whispered._

 _"Rose, you are one of the funniest, smartest, and most amazing people I know. You're just in a really bad situation right now," He paused collecting his thoughts, "And like I said, whatever you need, I'm here for you. But-I just want you to make sure that whatever you choose it's your decision and that you have no regrets because what you're going to do can not be undone."_

 _We looked at each other, the room silent, "Dimitri, I'm sure."_

 _I found a nearby clinic out of town-in town would have sparked gossip I was sure- and that also didn't need parental/guardian permission at 17. All throughout Dimitri was there for me, driving with me to the clinic, holding my hand as we walked into the clinic together, as it occurred he held my hand and smoothed back my hair. That night when I sobbed, he held me and told me everything was going to be alright. I was 4 weeks pregnant when I terminated my pregnancy; Dimitri was there for every step of my abortion. I asked him about a year later why he hadn't run for the hills or told anyone, why he stood by my side helping me with a baby that wasn't even his. He had turned to me with a funny smile and said,_

 _"Well, what are best friends for?"_

 _My sentiments exactly._

* * *

 **Present Day-Dimitri POV**

"Hello Jesse." I said

"Rose isn't here."

"I know." I replied, scanning his face and seeing the faint outline of a bruise on his cheek bone.

"So why are you here?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you."

I wasn't at all a violent man, but I was sad to say it thrilled me to see the fear in his eyes. "It's kind of late don't you think?"

It was and I knew it and I didn't care. I'd been itching for days since Rose had told me he hit her to come and show him exactly what I believed a wife-beater deserved but I had waited, patiently waited. On Saturday he hadn't been home when we had come over and Rose said he was usually too hung over to carry on a decent conversation on Sundays so I waited until Monday night on my way home from work. I wanted him perfectly coherent and sobered up for what I was about to give him.

"Let me in Jesse." I said.

He hesitated briefly before opening the door wider to let me through. I waited until he had closed and locked the door and then I punched him square in the jaw. Unfortunately he had seen me coming and tried to counter-attack but I was bigger, stronger, and coming with too much force; instead of the jaw I hit him in the ear. He tried to swing back and missed and I grabbed him by his shirt.

"You want to beat on women?" I sneered, inches from his face as I swung again, this time hitting the intended target: square in the jaw.

He wriggled out of my grasp and socked me in the ribs, it hurt but with all the adrenaline I barely felt it. "I didn't touch her." He lied.

"Wrong answer." I said, swinging for his nose and hearing the crunch when my fist met it's mark.

"You bastard. If you broke my nose-"

"What are you going to do? Slap me around like you slapped Rose?" I shouted, enraged. Blood started to trickle from his nose and if anything it gave me a boost. I lunged again but I was sloppy and he got me in the eye.

 _Damn, I felt that._ "That bitch had it coming! Thinking she could walk out on me! Who the hell does she think she is?" He spat out.

I kicked his legs out from under him and watched as he fell to the floor. I pinned him underneath me and just started punching.

"I told you!" I yelled, "I told you that if you did anything to her, I would come after you!"

He struggled beneath me, using my anger as a distraction and rolling us over so now he was punching me.

"You son of a bitch! Leave her the fuck alone, she doesn't love you and you'll never be hers. She is mine!" He yelled. I licked the side of my lips and tasted blood, I heard objects fall as we bumped into things. I knew it was a matter of time before someone came to investigate; I needed to end this, now. Using whatever strength I had left, I rolled us over again, giving him two square punches in the face and another in the ribs.

"Rose is not yours. She is not property! She's a human being and as long as I'm around she will never return to you!" I stood up over him as he tried to stand up. Ever so gently, I placed my foot on top of his diaphragm, one wrong or sudden move and I could crush him with my weight and he knew that.

"Rose will be back, she always comes back." He squeaked.

"Not this time." I countered.

"I have more power over her than you think. She will come back to me, whether she likes it or not."

"Are you threatening her?" I said, placing a small amount of weight on his diaphragm, watching him struggle a bit for breath. He remained silent.

"If you try to contact her, bother her, do anything that makes her unhappy, I'll be coming back for you. She divorcing your pathetic ass and if you don't sign the papers, I'm coming back for you. If you even do so much as say hello to her, I'll be coming for your ass and the next time, I won't be as kind."

"Fuck you." He whispered. I left him there on the floor in his apartment and I slowly walked back to mine; towards the girl I swore to protect.

* * *

 **Rose POV**

I had came home late that night and expected Dimitri to already be there but he wasn't; he later sent me a text saying he would be late and not to wait up. I ordered pizza and worked on some case files but when it started to get later, I began to worry about Dimitri. I knew he was a big boy and could handle himself but it was past 10 and surely he didn't get off work this late. It occurred to me that prior to showing up unannounced and a mess at his door, Dimitri and I had been drifting apart the last few weeks. There was a reason why, when I'd initially left Jesse, I stayed at Lissa's rather than with Dimitri's; well actually there were multiple reasons. Many of them stemmed from their relationship or lack thereof with each other. From Day 1 they hadn't liked each other and when I told Dimitri I was getting married I felt it had gotten worse. Dimitri constantly said that he couldn't trust Jesse and Jesse was beyond jealous of my close relationship with Dimitri. When we would get into awful fights-usually when Jesse was drunk- he would accuse me of cheating on him with Dimitri and would always tried to point out "obvious" signs that Dimitri was trying to steal me from him. In an attempt to keep both parties happy, I limited the amount of time I spent with Dimitri when Jesse was around and usually didn't mention one when in company of the other. Another reason why I didn't go to Dimitri was because I was slightly ashamed. Deep in my heart I knew that Dimitri would never bring up the fact that he distrusted Jesse from the start but when I had walked out on Jesse my pride couldn't handle the fact that Dimitri had known all along; like a coward I slinked over to Lissa who of course welcomed me with open arms. My relationship with Jesse had me do something that I was also ashamed of and seldom-if ever-did: question my relationship with Dimitri. I started to question why I liked hanging out with Dimitri so much, did I have hidden feelings for him, was I emotionally cheating on Jesse with Dimitri, was it wrong for me to continue seeing Dimitri? Of course now I could see how toxic my relationship was with Jesse that he made me question my relationship with my best friend and that I had allowed it, but at the time, I felt lost and confused and like an idiot I decreased the amount of time I spent with Dimitri. However, after walking in on Jesse in our bed, with that woman, and after that huge fight I realized there was only one person that I truly wanted; the one person who helped me in the park decades ago. Lissa was great and I loved her like a sister, but it was Dimitri I realized, Dimitri who could always make me feel better regardless of the situation. Dimitri who was there for me every time I needed him and then more. Dimitri, who I wanted more than anything to hold me and tell me it would all be alright like he always did.

Dimitri who was walking through the door right now. "Did you forget where your apartment was?" I teased. He looked surprised to see me on the couch, case files around me, the rest of the apartment dark save for the lamp on the table beside me.

"No, I just got held up at the hospital." He lied. Somehow I always knew when he was lying and vice versa. He hesitated, staying in the shadows close to the door before saying, "It's late. I'm going to bed."

He started for his bedroom, but I was off the couch and in his way before he could get there.

"Rose." He said

"What the hell did you do?"

Up close I could see the bruises and cuts that adorned his face, and the way he was clutching his side. "Rose. I'm fine."

"Like hell you are." I said, examining his face. "I told you, I handled it." I said quietly.

"And now we both handled it." He said roughly.

Like so many years ago when I was 17, I immediately regretted Dimitri into my messes. I regretted turning my kind, gentle Dimitri into someone that used his strength for something so negative; even if Jesse had deserved it. Dimitri and I stood in his living room, communicating without words, the same emotions that swirled in his eyes I knew were mirrored in mine. Eventually I sighed.

"Let's get you cleaned up or else you're going to scare your patients tomorrow."

* * *

 **Rose POV**

I was pissed. It was nearly time for my defendant's court time and he wasn't here. I was even more pissed because he had been in lock-up over night so being on time shouldn't be a problem with officers escorting him. However I knew what they were up to, they do this kind of thing all the time with juveniles. They make sure they bring them into the courtroom either a couple minutes or seconds before they're scheduled so that way I have no time to prep them or see what they're wearing or simply make sure they don't say something stupid like, "I didn't hurt his bitch ass." which 10 times out of 10 did not go well with the judge making them a little less sympathetic. The tardiness annoyed me to know end and of course I had gone through the proper channels of complaints but nothing had changed, who cared if the people, the "criminals" as others referred to them were late for court, they were going into jail anyway. But, I was over it; it was cold, I was pacing the outside of the courtroom with a mere 30 minutes to the defendant's court time, I had a headache, and I also had to pee. Those officers were going to feel my wrath when they showed up.

"Hey Hathaway, this piece of garbage is yours." the officers said, bringing the 16 year old up the court steps roughly.

"It's about damn time, you guys got here. How long does it take to get him from lock-up to this courthouse? It's right down the damn block!"

They glanced at each other and rolled their eyes, strolling past me and to my office where I would brief my client. "Hey looks like someone's on the red." One officer said to the other.

I waited until my client was out of ear shot until I responded, "People like you guys are going to hell. If any of you pull another stunt like this, I swear I'll strip you of your badges so quickly, you won't even noticed what happened until you show up for work and security is escorting you out. Do not try me." I said, the last part coming out through gritted teeth, slamming my door.

I took a deep breath before turning around, "Damn you sure told them!" Jake, my client, said.

"Ugh, don't follow my example it'll only get you in more trouble." I walked over to my desk, got the clothes and placed it in his hands, "There's a bathroom right in there, change and be quick about it. Remove the earring and try to cover up your tattoos as best as possible."

I waited, gathering my files until he came out. "It's a little big but it'll have to do. Now while in court no outbursts, you don't speak unless I tell you to or the judge tells you to. Stand when notified and don't look bored or disinterested. Got it?" I said, while helping him with the suit.

I was helping him tie his tie when he spoke, "You're not afraid of me?"

"No. Should I be?"

"Everyone else is." he replied

"Well, I'm not everyone else. And besides I can handle myself, don't let my height fool you." I was petite for a woman and always had been but I made up for it with extra hours in the gym, making sure that no one would look at my size and make me an easy target. Jake was easily about 6 feet tall and stood over me.

"Hot lawyer like you has to have a husband or boyfriend so how does he feel about you defending dangerous criminals?" Jake asked, a lofty smile marking his face when he said criminals. Early in my career I had defended anyone and everyone and it got me hurt multiple times both emotionally and sometimes physically; due to that, and for my own safety, I carefully reviewed each case before I decided if I should take it, and usually the ones I took were juveniles or defendants with misdemeanors.

I tried not to let his words get me too down as I answered, besides how could he have known that I was in the process of a divorce. It's been a month and a half since Jesse hit me and a month and a half living with Dimitri. I was slowly getting the pieces of my life together and although I refused to let my emotions show that didn't mean I didn't feel them. I never told Dimitri but some nights I would have really bad insomnia and couldn't fall asleep, every time I closed my eyes I felt Jesse's hand on my cheek, I heard the distant slap and bite of the abuse. I heard the crap he would yell at me when he was drunk and his negative words would flow as freely as the alcohol into his mouth. I hadn't even served Jesse the divorce papers to his face, I was planning too but when I saw him leave out the apartment one morning on his way to work, I found myself frozen with fear. I couldn't do it, I couldn't face him by myself. Instead I slipped the papers into his mailbox and when I reached to work, in my bathroom I had another panic attack which resulted in me crying and vomiting. I hated myself for being so weak, for not facing him after what he did to me, but I couldn't help it. I knew that if I told Dimitri he would want me to see someone, to get help but I just wanted to be over that part of my life. So instead I turned on the Rose bravado and put on a brave "I'm fine" face but I knew it was sooner or later before he would see through it.

"Well, I'm not married and I do not currently have a boyfriend so, like I said, I handle myself."

"Oh wow."

"We need to be discussing your case. I highly doubt in court they will be asking about my love life."

I prepped my client, we went to court and I got him released back into the care of a foster home-which I vetted because he had run away from his last one. Jake had been caught on the run when he had walked into a bodega that was being held up in a sting. He would have been released and all would be fine but the person had shot the store clerk in an attempt to get money, the said shooter happened to be one of Jake's good friends and foster brothers; when coupled with the fact that he was on the run from a foster home in which he said abused him and others, the police decided to throw him in jail and try to charge him with accessory to a crime because the shooter was his friend and they assumed he must have known about it. Cases like this made me very upset because I saw too many, instead of helping foster kids they were trying to throw them in jail like criminals. Well I'll be damned if they try to do it to my clients.

Uncharacteristically, this judge was very forgiving and we seemed to share the same views so he made his ruling quite quickly, and also made me early for lunch with Dimitri. It was something we had resumed when I continued living with him. Sometimes we would go out or sometimes we would eat food that Dimitri made the previous night which I argued was just as good as a restaurant and cheaper too.

I was told he was with a patient so I was sent to wait outside the patient's door; the hospital staff knew me so it wasn't a big deal. I sat and watched Dimitri with the patient and her mother; the patient was a little girl no more than 1 years old, she sat upright and sucked on her thumb, her attention completely on Dimitri as she strained her head up to look at him nearly falling backwards in the process. Dimitri was talking with the mother and deftly caught the child before she fell, tilting her back upwards and massaging her back. I knew exactly how it felt, whenever I was upset or troubled he would do the same to me. I observed Dimitri, really watching him from afar as I found myself doing sometimes while we were at home. Tall as always, a built body underneath that doctor's coat, but he wasn't a gym head like me so he wasn't too buff, a face with very defined features, his jaw bone, his lips, his brown hair that never wanted to stay in a ponytail holder instead framing his face-even as his best friend I had to admit that Dimitri was a very handsome man. _Why doesn't he date?_ The question came to me before I could even register it. He had his share of girlfriends but they never lasted too long. His longest and his on-again, off-again relationship had been with Natasha Ozera, Christian's cousin and the wicked witch of the west. Her and Dimitri had met in college and she always tried to sink her claws in him. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, I never liked her and I let Dimitri know it, but Dimitri always fell prey to her, a weakness I just didn't understand.

My musings were interrupted when the door opened and out stepped the mother, the daughter and then finally Dimitri, who looked up when I got off the chair and walked towards him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself."

"Were you waiting long?" he asked.

"No just hours upon hours." I said dramatically.

"This coming from you who always runs late?"

I rolled my eyes and smiled, "But not this time. I'm turning over a new leaf." _Yeah right._

"Yeah right." Dimitri said, dubiously. Let me just wash my hands and then we'll go eat.

"Hi Dimitri." came a female voice as we sat down and started to eat. I looked up to see a nurse giving Dimitri a very flirtations smile.

"Hi Lindsey." he said, completely clueless to the man-eater smile she was giving him.

"Hi, my name is Rose, it's so nice to meet you." I said, pretending to introduce myself as she walked away.

"What?" Dimitri said looking up confusedly.

I shook my head, "You know Dimitri, you might have grown up, got all hot, and all that stuff but you are about as clueless as women now as you were when we were younger."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hi Dimitri" I purred, giving him a slow, sensual wink and nodding my head in the direction that Lindsey went.

He turned red, "That was nothing."

"That was everything! She was basically asking you to strip her scrubs right there and then."

He made a face, "You're crazy."

"And you don't go out much." I retorted. "When's the last time you went on a date, or had any company with the opposite sex? Dimitri," I paused for dramatic effect, "When's the last time you had sex?"

I didn't have the pleasure of catching Dimitri off guard very often but when I did I reveled in it. I watched as his cheeks all the way to his ears turned very red, very fast. I laughed, "Okay that might have been too far, but come one Dimitri! You're young, you still got it. What's holding you back?"

"Rose. I'm just not looking for a relationship right now." He said

"Bull, I never said anything about a relationship." I said, waggling my eyebrows. "We need to go out. You, me, Lissa, Christian: a club. Saturday night."

"What? No. I'm not going." He retorted, shaking his head.

"Why not grandpa? Is there an episode of Mad Men you haven't seen yet? You work too hard to not have some fun. Saturday night, we're going, you're going to have some fun and if anything you're going to get laid." I said singing the last part and whipping out my phone to text Lissa.

He was quiet for a moment and then sighed and that's how I knew he was in.

* * *

 **Let me know what you guys think! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, I'm so pleased and appreciative with the feedback I've been receiving each chapter, I'm so glad you guys like it! Thank you to my followers, favoriters, and reviewers (Romitri99, Little Dhampir Jr, Leokat24, XxDeadlyBlackRosexX, ShannonDorf123, startdreamer268, the cat with the blue eyes, .9, and some guests) This is my longest chapter to date with over 6,000 words!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _I stared at myself in the mirror and willed myself to calm down, my palms were sweating and my heart was working double-time. It was my wedding day and although that was enough to freak me out just the tiniest bit, there was something else that concerned me: Dimitri wasn't here. My best friend, my partner in crime, my everything was not here yet and I was on the verge of a panic attack. I took some deep breaths in, some deep breaths out. Surely he couldn't be mad enough after what happened in the wedding rehearsal dinner that he wouldn't show up, right? But I remembered the last words I had said to him, if he couldn't support my marriage or my husband then he shouldn't come to the wedding. I was definitely regretting those words now as I paced needing Dimitri to come through the door, tell me everything was going to be alright, and no I wouldn't trip over my shoes walking down the aisle. If it was truly my choice, my wedding would be small, just a few family, friends and the man I loved, but Jesse had a huge family and loved doing things big, so when his mother and the wedding decorator started fantasizing about white crane center pieces and unique wedding invitations I smiled politely and went along with it, secretly just wanting the whole thing to be over and for Jesse and I to be alone on our honeymoon. I stopped in front of the mirror again, straightening my dress, smoothing over the bodice._

 _"You look beautiful," My eyes darted and I found Dimitri's eyes in the mirror. He was dressed in a classic black suit and tie making him more handsome than I ever remember seeing him. I ran to him, throwing my arms around him as we hugged each other._

 _"I swear, if you ever make me wait like this again I will personally make sure you never have kids." I whispered into his shoulder._

 _He laughed lightly. "I'll never do it again."_

 _"Promise?" I asked. He nodded._

 _"Pinky promise." I said, sticking out my pinky. He rolled his eyes as my childishness and squeezed my pinky within his._

 _I smiled, and led him the the mirror where we stood side by side. "You don't look so bad yourself comrade, Lissa made a really good choice."_

 _He smiled, "And you really do look beautiful Rose, a vision in white."_

 _I rolled my eyes and turned to him absent-mindly fixing his tie. "Who would have thought, huh? Me getting married."_

 _"I never thought I'd see the day." He responded_

 _"Me neither." I admitted_

 _"Rose do you love him?"_

 _I looked into Dimitri's eyes, my hands on his chest. "Yes. Yes I do."_

 _"And does he make you happy?"_

 _"Dimitri, why are you-"_

 _"Does he make you happy?" Dimitri repeated._

 _"Jesse and I are good together. We're happy together. Why are you asking me these questions?"_

 _Dimitri smiled slightly before answering, "I'm just making sure."_

 _"I'm sure. Really, I am."_

 _"I love you Rose." he said, placing a light kiss on my cheek. I closed my eyes, smelling his aftershave, I felt the steady beating of his heart under the palm of my hand._

 _"I love you too Dimitri." I said, it wasn't uncommon for us to tell each other that, we both understood that our love was platonic, one of friendship; this time was a little different though, my heart hammered as he said it and as I responded, that phrase brought up new questions in my mind that confused me, that made me wonder._

 _I quickly dismissed my thoughts when he leaned back and said, "Are you ready?" I nodded and took his arm and we left the room. In place of my dad, I had asked Dimitri to give me away; it was a thought that had struck me in the middle of the night and I realized I didn't even need to ponder it, it just felt right. I remember when I told Alberta and Olena, the tears that welled up in the latter's eyes. Dimitri giving me away just felt right, like that was how it was supposed to be._

 _How did I know that the person who would give me away was the same person I would go to when it all fell apart?_

* * *

 **Present Day-Rose POV**

"You are not wearing that."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Dimitri asked, looking down at his corduroy pants and polo shirt.

"Dimitri it looks like your mom dressed you! You're going to a club, you're going to meet women. Come on, dressed like that I could get more women than you, and I'm dressed like this." I gestured to my robe and bunny slippers as I had just gotten out of the shower.

He rolled his eyes and followed me as I went into his room and dug in his closet. "You're so used to scrubs and slacks that you've forgotten how to dress. Here wear this." I said, putting out jeans and a button down shirt on his bed.

"What would you do without me?" I mused, walking out of his bedroom

"Okay let's go." I said, finally finished getting ready. "How do I look?" Dimitri glanced up from his book (a western I bet) and what was a quick glance turned into his eyes raking me from head to toe. I admit, I had pulled out a lot of the stops tonight. I wore a body-con black dress that came about mid-thigh, the top and sleeves mesh, exposing a small portion of cleavage. I wore tights (It was November after all) and paired it with black knee length boots which both elongated my legs and kept them warm. I left my hair curly and loose, and my makeup simple, mascara and classic red lips. Dimitri surveyed my body in a way that created a weird tingling in my stomach, and warmness on my cheeks.

"You look nice." He said finally. He stood up to help me put on my coat and I saw my picked outfit in action. Dimitri looked _good._

"You look so much better now that you don't look like you're going to a doctor's convention." I said. The jeans were dark-washed and hugged his muscular body in all the right places. His black button down form fitting, sleeves rolled up on his forearm.

"Let's go before I change my mind." He said putting on his coat.

I laughed, "You're going to have the time of your life tonight."

The club was already pumping when Dimitri and I arrived, the bass of the music vibrating in my throat, people out on the dance floor; I grabbed Dimitri's hand and led him towards the bar where I had already spotted Christian and Lissa.

"Hey, look who came out to play!" I shouted at them to be heard above the music. Before Lissa and I had gotten married, during college we were a little bit of wild-childs, well I was a a wild child and Lissa came along to make sure I didn't do anything stupid. What could I say? I loved to have a good time.

"One vodka shot for me and one for my prudish friend." I told the bartender with a smile, gesturing to Dimitri at the last part. I had left my jacket in the coat closet and I was ready to work this dress. I surveyed the dance floor, tapping my foot with the beat.

"Rose, I'm not drinking tonight." Dimitri said, his voice in my ear

"Like hell you're not, "I replied when our drinks came. "You're just saying that because you know I can hold my liquor better than you." I teased holding out his shot.

"Rose, I'm Russian, we can always hold our liquor."

"Is that so? Prove it."

"Rose."

"Come on grandpa!" I said, holding out his drink closer to him, "You know you want to."

I saw the small battle in his eyes, the old competitive glare that I knew he couldn't resist. "Fine." he said, taking the shot, swinging it back quickly and pounding the empty glass on the table.

"Hit me again." he said to the bartender. I smiled and quickly swallowed mine, "Yes! He's out to play."

He waited until the bartender had given me another and we took it together, eyes on each other as we drank. I felt the familiar burn in the back of my throat as I swallowed but my competitive nature refused to admit it.

"Again." I said after the 3rd shot, feeling the rush of alcohol in my veins.

Once more we took another shot eyes again on each other, both slamming the glasses down at the same time.

"You guys are crazy." Christian said from behind me.

"Trust me Christian, don't intervene." Lissa said, laughing.

"Let's go, grandpa!" I said, leading Dimitri out to the dance floor. Feeling the slight buzz of the vodka I started shimmying my hips to the beat.

"Rose, you know I can't-" I turned to Dimitri and put a finger to his lips. "Dimitri, stop with what you can't do and focus on what you can do. Come on, let loose, have some fun!" I put his hands on my hips and we started to dance. Dimitri was a little awkward at first but I got him to loosen up, (a couple more shots also helped too). While on the dance floor we met two girls and a guy who I also danced with along with Lissa and Christian.

I remember breaking away from our group with Lissa and getting another drink, "Look at him." I said, turning around my back to the bar.

"Who?" Lissa asked.

"Dimitri." I said, watching him on the dance floor; the smooth way he moved his body. He caught my eye and in an uncharacteristic move for him he winked at me before laughing and looking away.

I shook my head and smiled, feeling a rush of warmth to my cheeks again. It was the alcohol, it had to be. We partied til about 1 am when Lissa and Christian stated that they were tired and were going to take a cab home.

"Rose. Dimitri. Are you guys sure, you don't want us to take you home?" Lissa asked.

"What? No we're fine." Well, not exactly. Dimitri and I both had a more than a few drinks but we were fine, we could handle ourselves. We left a little after Lissa and Christian, slipping from the noisy club into a cool quiet cab. I fumbled with my jacket as Dimitri gave the cab driver his address.

"Here, let me." Dimitri said seeing the problem I was having with the simple buttons on my jacket.

"It's just not-not in going- I mean going in." I giggled. He pulled me closer quite abruptly and the sharp turn that the cabbie made didn't make it much better. Needless to say, I ended up nearly on Dimitri's lap.

I giggled again at our close proximity, feeling the tingling sensation in my stomach again. I had the strangest urge to touch his hair then and I did, realizing how it much it felt like silk below my fingertips.

"Your hair is really soft." I mumbled.

"I know." He said, eyes never once leaving mine as he helped me with my buttons. It was weird the intense emotion I was feeling right then, I couldn't describe it-well more like I could describe it and I just didn't want too. _You're drunk Rose, you're having these feelings because you are drunk. End of Story._

I gasped suddenly when Dimitri lightly moved my hair over my shoulder, leaned down and put a light kiss right below my ear, right at my sweet spot causing me to shudder in his arms.

"You're really pretty." he whispered

I looked down shyly but the moment was soon gone when the cabbie braked suddenly and yelled "No sex in the cab!" Dimitri and I sprang apart like teenagers, each going to our respective corners of the cab.

We kept a polite distance until we got into his apartment. I had taken off my coat and boots and was going to my room, when Dimitri grabbed me by the hand my momentum causing me to crash into his chest. He held me there closely, our chests rising and falling together, he had the most peculiar look on his face but didn't say anything as his hand came up and cupped my cheeks and then traced the outline of my face. My heart hammered wildly and I felt a little unsteady on my feet. His eyes stayed on mine except when he glanced at my lips, then they were back to my eyes. We stayed like that, together in silence before he left me go lightly and went into his room.

* * *

 **Dimitri POV**

 _I'm never drinking again. I don't care what Rose says or wears I'm never doing it again._

I sat up on my bed, too quickly I realized when the entire world started to spin, I flopped back against my pillows and willed the world to be still, for my head to please stop pounding. I tried to piece together my jumbled memories of last night.

I remembered Rose berating, then changing my outfit, I remembered reading while I waited for her to emerge and then I remember her asking how she looked. Rose always looked nice to me; she is a very beautiful woman and I had always thought so. She wore a black dress that was slightly see through on the top exposing a small bit of cleavage. Her lashes dark, framing her eyes, lips red; truth be told I liked Rose makeup free in sweats, unguarded, un-made up but when she did dress up I had to admit she did it _well._

Upon looking at her, I felt a weird tingling in my stomach, an odd desire that I hadn't felt in a long time creep up on me. "You look nice." I had told, her liking how she beamed at the compliment.

I remembered drinking more than I had planned, due to Rose's methods of persuasion a.k.a using our competitive natures against me and truly having a good time dancing along with the music. Then I remembered the cab ride home, the way she had landed in my lap, the way she had gasped and shuddered when I kissed right below her ear. And finally I remembered grabbing her like a wild man, hugging her close to me, tracing the outline of her face.

I groaned, what the hell did I do last night. Rose was my best friend, I'm pretty sure if I had feelings for her they would have manifested already. Yes, she was attractive and yes I was attracted to her but our relationship was strictly platonic; that I was sure of. Besides, she was going through a divorce, she needed time. And I didn't have feelings for her, it was the effects of the alcohol.

That was what I told myself.

* * *

 **Thanksgiving Day-Rose POV**

"Happy Thanksgiving hun,"

"Happy Thanksgiving to you to Aunty Alberta." I said to my aunt, the woman who had raised me after my parents had died in a car crash when I was 5.

She worked in the FBI but was no longer an active agent in the field, instead she was the supervisor and had risen in the ranks to become so. She still lived in Russia in Baia though when I went to college she moved out from the house across Dimitri's that I had grown up in, deciding instead to get a small apartment closer to the city and work; she claimed the house had gotten too big for her to clean but personally I thought she was a little bit lonely. I made it a point to try and call her every week but with both our working schedules it was hard, however somehow we always made it happen. Besides Dimitri, Lissa, and Olena, Alberta was also a permanent figure in my trusted group.

"You haven't been working too hard have you?" my aunt asked over the phone; she knew me so well.

"Why of course not. Have you?"

"Of course not."

There was silence for a while and then we both started to laugh, "When are going to quit lying to each other?" I asked

Alberta chuckled, "Work is work you know. Some days are longer than others and I really am trying to focus more on other things in life, get a hobby, do something else other than work all the time."

"Hmm, wise words. I'm not there yet." I responded laughing

"Don't work too hard Rose, appreciate the little things around you, the moments you won't get back." She paused. "Especially in light of what's recently happened."

I frowned, I had filled Alberta in on my divorce a while ago. "How are things?" she asked.

"You know they're okay. I'm fine." I responded.

"Oh Rose I know you. Whenever you say you're fine, you're anything but. I'm really glad you're staying with Dimitri again."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. Alberta loved Dimitri like he was her own son, but honestly who wouldn't. When we were growing up Dimitri was practically perfect, charming, a gentleman, smart; over the years Alberta had definitely taken a liking to him that had not decreased over the years.

"Of course you are." I said sarcastically.

"No I mean it. You and him, you guys-make each other better. Help the other one when they're down. I trust and know he's really going to help you through this time that you're having; he has your best interests in mind."

I mulled over her words, my mind wandering to Dimitri. Our drunken night from the club had not escaped my memory and instead never ceased to play over and over in my mind like a song on repeat. I had expected him to say something, anything pertaining to what had happened but he went on as normal treating me like he always did. I tried to force myself to forget because he had obviously forgotten as well or was to drunk to remember but my mind refused to listen.

I sighed. "Dimitri's...well he's Dimitri, he's just like he was then, but probably taller oh and a little but more scruffy." I noted.

There was also _that._ Dimitri usually kept himself very well shaven, no mustache, no goatee, nothing; recently, however I've noticed he started to leave a little bit more scruff along his jawline. Not too much and always trimmed but I had to admit it was _drop dead sexy._ Three words I had never associated with Dimitri, had popped into my mind the first time I had seen him scruffier than ever. It was as if Dimitri the boy had transformed overnight into Dimitri the _man._

 _"What?" He had said at breakfast the morning of his change in appearance. I cursed silently, unaware that I'd been staring and even more unaware that he'd caught me staring._

 _I cleared my throat, "Nothing." I said simply, deciding to take my cereal into my room before I said or did something ridiculous. Say like reach over the table and-_

"Scruffy, my oh my I would like to see that." Alberta mused.

"Hmph." was my response.

"He doesn't know yet does he?"

"About what!?" came my answer, alarmed yet guarded.

"About the surprise." My heart rate returned to normal.

"Oh no, I haven't told him yet. But I will tonight."

"I can't wait! It's been too long Rose."

"Yeah I know, that's why I did it." I said

"Well I'm going to let you go enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving. Tell Dimitri and Lissa I said hello."

"Are you ready?" Dimitri asked as I hung up the phone. Dimitri and I were going over to Lissa and Christian's for Thanksgiving along with some other friends.

"Of course." I responded as I grabbed my coat and purse to leave. "I tried to eat as as minimal as possible all day so my stomach would be extra empty."

Dimitri gave me a look, "Rose I saw you wolf down 3 pancakes earlier today."

I smiled and shrugged, "Yeah I know. That was me keeping it minimal. Besides, you're the one that keeps making yummy pancakes. If you'll stop doing that, then maybe I'll stop eating them. I think I might have started to gain weight because of your cooking."

We were in the elevator heading out of the apartment and Dimitri looked at me, his eyes raking me from head to toe, his stare making my heart flutter. "You look fine to me." he said.

I smiled to myself and said nothing else as we traveled to Lissa's.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Eddie said as he opened to door to Lissa and Christian's apartment.

"Eddie! I didn't know you were playing doorman now." I responded.

"Oh Rose, always the jokester." I responded, giving me a light hug and ushering Dimitri and I into the apartment.

"Hey everyone!" I said as we walked into the living room. Aside from Eddie, Mia, Mason, Jill, Ivan, Sydney, and Adrian were seated and chatting amongst each other.

"Well look who finally decided to show up." came Adrian's voice from across the room.

I rolled my eyes as I went around the room saying hello.

"Rose, looking beautiful as always. Is there a chance I can pry you from Dimitri's side for a quickie in the bedroom?" I laughed out loud at Ivan's remark. He was Dimitri's best friend and the biggest flirt that I had ever met. We knew him since high school in Russia but I had gotten to know him better when he transferred to my college sophomore year. There he met Lissa and Christian and his easygoing nature usually rounded out our group quite nicely. Since college we've always had a flirting banter that we continuously kept up with each other; Lissa had asked once if we were serious and I had told her that although Ivan was attractive, I wasn't attracted to him. To me dating him would be the equivalent to dating a brother or cousin, we simply continued our flirting for fun.

"As if." was my response.

"Oh feisty, I like it." We laughed at each other then as I continued to go around the room. I always noticed the couples sat together-Sydney and Adrian, Mia and Mason, Eddie and Jill- and I felt a distant pang in my chest as I realized that I wasn't one of them anymore; I shook off the feeling but it still made me feel a little sad.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked, putting his hand on the small of my back and moving to stand in front of me.

"Yeah I was just thinking."

His question came in his raised brow. "Well it's just-"

"Oh my gosh Dimka!" Dimitri was facing me so he didn't see who had come up behind him but when I heard her voice one peek over Dimitri's shoulder was all it took for verification.

"I didn't know you'd be here. Wow it's been so long. Oh, hi Rose."

Natasha Ozera. Or as I liked to call her the Wicked Witch had emerged from a room and came to stand next to Dimitri, slipping her arm in his.

"Tasha. Hello, yes you're right it has been a while." Dimitri said.

"Hello." I said as politely as I could manage. She glanced at me with a strained smile before focusing her attention on Dimitri.

I sighed, I should of guessed she was going to be here, she was Christian's cousin after-all.

"Dimitri, I'm going to go into the kitchen."

"Yeah okay." he said giving me a smile before Tasha took his attention away again. I bristled as I walked away; I had never liked Tasha. She always used Dimitri, never treated him well and what pissed me off the most is that he always went back to her, always fell victim to her charms, to her carefully placed hand on his forearm, the way she would dip her head into him as if she couldn't hear him; the way she would laugh, sticking her chest out giving Dimitri a clear view of her cleavage; it had always annoyed the hell out of me but tonight I felt it even more.

"Give me your strongest wine." I said to Lissa as I entered the kitchen.

"Wow, I don't even get a hello." she teased.

"Hello Lissa may I please have some of your strongest wine." She rolled her eyes as she put the turkey in the oven and pointed to her wine cabinet.

I took the first one I laid eyes on and took two glasses, offering one to her. "More for me." I said as she shook her head.

I took a sip and sighed, "God, this tastes so good. Dimitri doesn't keep a lot of wine in his apartment so I've been delegated to cheap wine on the way home."

She laughed lightly, "What's got you all wound up?"

I nodded my head in the direction of Dimitri and Tasha. "Your husband's cousin seducing and capturing my best friend."

"Rose-"

"No don't Rose me, I don't like her. She's always up to no good and Dimitri is putty in her hands."

"Rose-"

"Lissa, I'm serious. He falls for her every time and then she walks all over him, stomps on his heart and he gets hurt." I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Rose, Dimitri is a big boy. He can fend for himself. Besides, lust makes you do crazy things."

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my wine. "Do you need any help in here?" Lissa gave me a look, she knew how bad I was in the kitchen.

I put up my hands and backed out of the kitchen. "Okay, I'll take that as a no."

I had been talking to Sydney and Adrian for a while when I decided to refill my glass. I walked into the kitchen and it was oddly empty. Where was Lissa?

Turning on my heel, I doubled back and looked in the living room but she wasn't there, I lightly knocked on her and Christian's bedroom door but heard no answer. I stepped in but it was empty, I was going to leave but a sound in their bathroom made me turn around. I wondered if I was about to walk in on them but remembered seeing Christian in the living room with the others.

"Lissa?"

"No Rose don't-" But I had already swung open the bathroom door which revealed a pale Lissa crouched over her toilet.

"Lissa! Oh God, Christian! Chris-"

"Rose stop! Stop!"

"What's going on? Are you okay?" I asked going in the bathroom and helping her up.

"Yes I'm fine. I'm fine. No need to call Christian. I really-" Her words trailed off a she shut and flushed the toilet.

"You would think morning sickness would only be in the morning but I guess not." she muttered closing the door and washing her hands.

"Liss what are you talking about?" She sat on the closed toilet and watched as recognition dawned on my features.

"Oh my God." I whispered watching the smile on Lissa's face grow.

"Oh my God!" I screamed, grabbing her for a hug.

"Ahhhh! Oh my God, you're pregnant! I can't believe this!" I screamed, hugging her.

She laughed, "Shhh, God the whole apartment doesn't need to know yet."

"You're pregnant! I can't believe it!"

Lissa beamed. "Yes I am. I'm 6 weeks pregnant."

"Oh my gosh, when'd you know? Are you okay? Are you excited? Does Christian know? Does anyone else know?" I asked, the questions all coming at once.

"I found out about a week ago. Christian and I both want kids but we expected to have them a little later, but I went off the pill and we've been safe but sometimes we weren't and we weren't trying and it just happened I guess. Yes, I'm fine; my senses are like super heightened though and I get sick a lot at various times of the day so that sucks. And yes I'm super excited and yes Christian knows. And you're the first person I've told."

I rocked back and forth on my tip toes, my best friend was having a baby! "And I was going to tell you at our lunch date later this week but you ruined the surprise." Lissa added.

"Oh who cares about surprises Liss! I'm so happy for you!"

"I know, I know!" Lissa giggled. "I'm feeling everything at once, happy and excited and anxious and just everything."

I couldn't help it, I leaned down and hugged Lissa again. "You're having a baby!" The only thing she could do is hold on to me and laugh as we both celebrated her joyous occasion.

Later that evening, the food was prepared, we all gathered around the table and before we dug in like I so eagerly wanted to do, Lissa decided we should go around the table and say what we were thankful for.

"You guys know I'm not exactly good at this kind of thing." I said when it was my turn, "You know feelings and such," everyone laughed, "But um, I'm just really thankful for amazing friends who have become my extended family, I'm thankful for people that know how to cook so I'm not eating my thanksgiving meal out of a can. I'm thankful for this wine, which Lissa you definitely have to tell me what it's called because I am loving it!"

I laughed lightly looking around, my eyes finally falling on Dimitri who was seated next to me, "But most importantly I'm thankful for one of the bestest friends a girl could ask for. Who would do anything for me and always finds a way to make even the crappiest situations-not so crappy anymore." I flushed a bit as he smiled, I honestly hadn't mean to say all of that.

I rose my half empty glass, "Happy Thanksgiving everyone." I sat down quickly and since I was the last one we started to eat. I was asking for someone to pass the mashed potatoes when I felt a hand link with mine below the table, I looked over to see Dimitri smiling. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze which I returned; our hands remained that way for the remainder of the dinner.

* * *

 **Thanksgiving Night-Rose POV**

I ended up taking the bottle of wine home, I swore it was that good. After a taste Christian said he couldn't stand it and since Lissa was pregnant she obviously didn't need it. I curled up on the couch with Dimitri who also agreed it was good and we sat together and drank. I had to admit, all that wine had made me slightly tipsy.

"Tonight was nice." he said beside me.

"This wine is nice."

He laughed, "Yes this wine is very exquisite."

"Tonight was very exquisite." I replied.

"What you said tonight was nice." he said, shifting his attention to me.

"Well that's what I'm thankful for."

He linked my hand in his, running his thumb over the back of my hand. I felt the flutters again. He looked up and into my eyes, "I'm thankful for you too Roza."

God, he hadn't called me that in years. I looked down at our hands and back into his eyes, "Don't look at me like that." I said, my voice a little breathy.

His face took on one of confusion, "Like what?"

I think it was my tipsy brain and my scrambled thoughts that made me suddenly remember Dimitri's surprise. Before I knew it I was jumping up from the couch and running into my room, nearly falling over myself. When I plopped down on the couch again, closer to Dimitri I realized dimly, it was with an envelope in hand.

"Happy early merry Christmas." I said, plopping it on his lap.

"What is this?" He asked, opening it.

"When you open it you'll find out!" I said, a little too giddy with excitement.

"Rose, you know I've always said that you're a little late when it comes to getting gifts but this year you're super early and-" His words abruptly cut off as he held the tickets in his hands.

He glanced up at me, his expression one of disbelief. I, on the other hand, wanted to burst.

"What do you think?" I asked

"I-what-How?"

"Did you not want it?" I asked, confused by his remarks, "Did you already get it? Gosh, I swore you didn't. Man I thought I-"

My words were but off when Dimitri gently pulled me towards him and held me in his arms. "This is the best gift I've ever received." He said

I smiled and tipped my head up to look at him, "I really hoped you would like them." For his gift, I had bought two plane tickets to Russia so Dimitri and I could go back for two weeks during Christmas. The tickets as well as the times and price I had gotten it for were a rare commodity. Dimitri and I tried to go once every year, but price and our work schedules usually kept us from going together. Price alone kept either of us from going during the holidays. I knew how important family was to Dimitri and I myself was excited to get to see them as well as Alberta again; the fact that I was able to purchase those tickets and get it for over the holidays to spend time with our families was an amazing feat.

"How'd you get them?" he asked, running a soothing hand through my hair.

"I've been looking since before Halloween. At first it was for curiosity but then I thought it would be really cool if we were able to go for Christmas." I paused, trying to collect my thoughts and focus on answering his question, and not how his hand felt in my hair.

"And then I started to notice that the prices for the tickets had significantly dropped, and I don't know I just kind of thought it was meant to be. So I started looking for specific dates and speaking to an airline agent who was helping me through the process and then finally, about 2 weeks ago I found these and they were for the time I wanted and they were just perfect so I took them and I thought I would surprise you."

I let out a breath, unaware that I had been rambling. He hugged me closer, "This is beyond incredible Rose. Thank you so much!"

I laughed, "You're welcome, the only thing is we have to leave super early in the morning to catch the plane."

"I don't care. Christmas in Baia, could there be anything better? I'm going to call Mama."

I watched his excitement and joy and it filled my heart and I realized right then that I loved making Dimitri happy.

* * *

 **I admit I'm a sucker for a cute and happy ending! Let me know what you guys think! :)**


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